Arizona To Get Hot Japanese Food

Benihana Inc. to Bring Its Teppanyaki Restaurant Experience to Chandler, Arizona

MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 16, 2006--Benihana Inc. (NASDAQ: BNHNA and BNHN), operator of the nation's largest chain of Japanese theme and sushi restaurants, today announced plans to open a new Benihana teppanyaki restaurant at The Boulevard Shops, a 225,000 square foot cluster of upscale, high-end retail space in Chandler, Arizona. The Company already operates a total of seven restaurants in the state, including two Benihana teppanyaki restaurants and five RA Sushi Bar Restaurants.

The 7,000 square feet Chandler restaurant will be built with a contemporary Japanese look and feel, utilizing the prototype design of WD Partners. To experience a virtual tour of the new prototype design, please visit www.benihana.com/investor_relations.asp.

The Boulevard Shops is adjacent to the 1.3 million square foot Chandler Fashion Center, a premier regional mall with some 180+ shops and anchored by tenants Nordstrom, Dillard's, Robinsons-May and Sears. The Chandler Mall Fashion Center is located on Chandler Boulevard at Highway 101/Price Freeway, just three miles west of Historic Downtown Chandler, or four miles east of Interstate 10.

"We are pleased to continue our Arizona expansion with a new Benihana teppanyaki restaurant in an upscale shopping destination. The City of Chandler, known as the High Tech Oasis in the Silicon Desert, is one of the fastest growing communities in the southwestern United States, with a well-educated and affluent population of more than 240,000 residents. We are confident that our attractive concept and brand name recognition will allow us to prosper in this dynamic and exciting market," said Joel A. Schwartz, President and CEO.

About Benihana

Benihana Inc. (NASDAQ:BNHNA and BNHN), now in its 41st year, operates 73 restaurants nationwide, including 56 Benihana teppanyaki restaurants, seven Haru sushi restaurants, and ten RA Sushi Bar Restaurants. Under development at present are eleven restaurants - four Benihana teppanyaki restaurants, one Haru restaurant, and six RA Sushi restaurants. In addition, twelve franchised Benihana teppanyaki restaurants are now open in the U.S. and nine in Latin America and the Caribbean, while another two are under development.

Contacts
Benihana Inc.
Joel A. Schwartz or Michael R. Burris, 305-593-0770
or
Integrated Corporate Relations:
Tom Ryan or Raphael Gross, 203-682-8200